Sweltering heat suffocates Midwest, heads to Northeast

August 01, 2006

CHICAGO (AP) -- The blowtorch heat that blistered California last week gripped the Midwest Monday, prompting communities to throw air-conditioned buildings open to the public and endangering millions of people with outdoor jobs -- including NFL players in training camp. Temperatures throughout the Midwest and Plains exceeded 100 degrees. The heat index, a measure of temperature plus humidity, climbed as high as 110 in some places. The National Weather Service issued heat warnings for such cities as Chicago, Cincinnati, Dayton, Ohio, and Tulsa, Okla. The Midwest could get some relief by Wednesday, but the worst of the heat was expected to drift into the Northeast today, bringing scorching temperatures to New York, Washington and Boston. NFL teams closely monitored players for signs of heat-related illness. The heat prompted the Chicago Bears to cancel morning practice at training camp in Bourbonnais, Ill. On Sunday, the Tennessee Titans let defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth leave practice early with dizziness. In California, the sweltering heat that punished the state for two weeks subsided, but the number of confirmed or suspected heat-related deaths climbed to 164 as county coroners worked through a backlog of cases. Cities across the Midwest urged neighbors to check on the elderly and disabled. Utilities expected to set records for power usage and asked customers to conserve electricity to prevent blackouts. In Chicago, officials made available a special telephone line to request checks on vulnerable neighbors and friends. The Department of Human Services and police responded to nearly 50 such requests by early Monday. The city's Department of Aging also telephoned more than 300 senior citizens to offer help, such as rides to cooling centers. The Cook County medical examiner's office reported two heat-related deaths Monday. Both victims were men in their 50s or 60s with heart disease. In Oklahoma, authorities reported two more deaths that happened over the weekend.